Rules and Equipment 67

chapter 7 RulesRules andand EquipmentEquipment This is where we’ll introduce you to some of the basic rules of baseball. We won’t try to cover all the rules of the game, but rather will give you what you need to work with players who are 8 to 14 years old. We’ll give you information on terminology, equipment, field size and markings, player positions, and game procedures. We recommend you use these rules, many of which have been modified from the adult ver- sion of the game to make the sport more appropriate for youngsters. In a short section at the end of the chapter we’ll show you the officiating signals for baseball. 65 66 Coaching Youth Baseball Terms to Know Baseball has its own vocabulary. Being familiar with common terms will make your job easier. In some cases we go into more depth on terms to explain related rules. balk—An illegal motion by the pitcher resulting in runners advancing one base. ball—A pitch that the batter doesn’t swing at and that is outside of the strike zone. baserunner—An offensive player who is either on base or attempting to reach a base. batter’s box—Rectangles on either side of home plate designating the area in which a batter must stand. batting rules—A batter cannot leave the batter’s box once the pitcher becomes set or begins the windup. Both feet must be inside the batter’s box (the lines are part of the box). If the batter hits the ball—either fair or foul—with one or both feet on the ground entirely outside of the box, the batter is automatically out. Also, a batter may request time, but the umpire does not have to grant the request. If a batter refuses to take position in the batter’s box, the umpire will order the pitcher to pitch and call each pitch a strike, no matter the location. bunt—A method of hitting accomplished by holding the bat so that the pitch is hit softly, traveling several feet in front of home plate or down the first- or third-base line. Players can bunt for base hits or to advance a runner into scoring position. Batters attempting to bunt on the third strike are out if the ball is picked up in foul territory. This play is considered a strikeout. choking up—Moving the hands up the bat handle to increase bat control. count—The number of balls and strikes on a hitter. crow hop—Use of the body and arm in a throwing motion that gener- ates maximum velocity on the ball. defensive interference—The baseline belongs to the runner. A fielder not in the act of fielding cannot block the path of the runner between any bases. In such a case the ball is dead and the runner is awarded the base he or she would have reached, in the umpire’s judgment, had he or she not been obstructed. double—A hit that allows the batter to reach second base safely. double play—A defensive play that results in putting two players out. Rules and Equipment 67 dropped third strike—If first base is unoccupied, or if it is occupied with two out, and the catcher drops a third strike, the defensive team must put out the batter by either throwing to first before the batter reaches the base or by tagging the batter with the ball before he or she reaches first. error—A defensive mistake that enables a runner to advance or reach a base safely that the player would otherwise have been unable to advance to or would have been put out before reaching. fair territory—The area of the playing field between (and including) the foul lines. fielder’s choice—A situation that allows a batter to reach a base safely because a fielder decides to put out a different baserunner. fly ball—A hit that sails high into the air; also known as a pop fly. fly-out—A fly ball that is caught, resulting in the batter being put out. force play—Occurs when a runner is forced to advance to the next base because the batter becomes a runner and the preceding base is occupied. On a ground ball, runners are forced to run in these situations: first base occupied; first and second occupied; first, second, and third occupied; first and third occupied (only the runner on first is forced to run). On force plays, the defender needs to touch the base while in possession of the ball before the runner reaches the base to record an out. An out resulting from a force play is called a force-out. foul ball—Any ball hit into foul territory. Note, though, that a ground ball that is fair as it passes first or third base and then rolls into foul territory is a fair ball. foul line—Either of the two straight lines extending at right angles from the rear of home plate through the outer edges of first and third bases to the outfield boundary. A batted ball that lands on a foul line is considered to have landed in fair territory. foul territory—The area of the playing field that lies beyond the foul lines. foul tip—A ball that is tipped by the batter and either caught or dropped by the catcher. With two strikes on the batter, a foul tip must be caught by the catcher for an out (a strikeout) to be recorded; otherwise the batter may still bat. ground ball—A hit that bounces or rolls along the ground; also known as a grounder. ground-out—A ground ball that is fielded by an infielder, resulting in the batter being put out at first base. hit by a pitch—A batter is awarded first base for being hit by a pitch. 68 Coaching Youth Baseball home run—A home run is recorded when a batter hits a fair ball over the fence or circles the bases on an inside-the-park hit without being thrown out. infield—The part of the playing field enclosed by the three bases and home plate. infield fly rule—This rule prohibits a player from intentionally dropping a fair fly ball that can be caught in the infield with normal effort. This rule is in effect with runners on first and second, or first, second, and third, with less than two outs. When an umpire calls an infield fly rule, the batter is automatically out and runners may advance at their risk. inning—A division of a game that consists of each team having a turn at bat. offensive interference—A runner is out if he or she intentionally interferes with a thrown ball, hinders a fielder from making a play on a batted ball, or intentionally interferes with a fielder or the ball in trying to break up a double play. In this case both the runner and the batter are out. out—An out can be recorded in a variety of ways, including strikeout, force-out, tag-out, and fly-out. outfield—The part of the playing field outside the infield and between the foul lines. overthrow—When a base is overthrown and the ball goes out of play (such as over a fence or in a dugout), runners are awarded the next base. passed ball—A pitch not hit by the batter that passes the catcher and should have been caught (see wild pitch). Typically passed balls pass the catcher in the air before bouncing. To be a passed ball, a baserunner must advance on the play. pitching rules—With a runner or runners on base, once a pitcher begins his or her motion to home he or she must throw or be called for a balk. With the bases empty, a pitcher has 20 seconds to pitch or the umpire will automatically call a ball. A ball is also called when the pitcher brings his or her pitching hand into contact with his or her mouth or lips while on the mound (exceptions may be made in cold weather); for applying a foreign substance to the ball; for spitting on the ball, either hand, or the glove; and for rubbing the ball on the glove, body, or clothing. The pitcher may rub the ball in his or her bare hands. Pitchers cannot intentionally throw at a batter. A man- ager or coach may make two trips to the mound during an inning to talk to the pitcher; on the second trip, the pitcher must be removed. Rules and Equipment 69 put-out—A batter/runner or baserunner is called out (such as with a force-out or tag-out). run—The basic unit of scoring that is credited each time a baserunner advances safely to home plate. run batted in (RBI)—A run that is driven in by a batter. running out of the baseline—A runner is out when she or he runs out of the baseline, which is more than three feet away from a direct line between the bases, unless she or he is doing so to avoid interfering with a fielder fielding a batted ball. running past first base—Runners are entitled to run past first base without risking being tagged out. They give up this right if they turn toward second base, however. Once they turn toward second, they can be tagged out. sacrifice bunt—A bunt that results in the batter being put out, though the baserunner(s) advance(s).

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